Charmed, I'm sure
by curios
Summary: Sarah comes to Hogwarts in order to fill the newly vacated posistion as Charms Teacher. Just how dangerous will THIS year be? OC. Het. Pairings Uncertain. NOT MARYSUE. rated for later chapters started writing it b4 I read HBP
1. Homecoming

was almost the beginning of a new school year, though Albus Dumbledore had already found a teacher for Defense Against the Dark Arts, he was lacking a teacher to replace the newly retired Professor Flitwick. _I do hope he's enjoying himself in the Caribbean_, he thought to himself, pacing in his office as he so often did.

Later that night, as he continued to think, he heard a slight tapping on his chamber window. He opened it only for a small saw-whet owl to fly in, a roll of parchment tied to its leg. He untied the owl's burden and read the note to himself:

_Dear Albus,_

_Wishing you a very happy birthday. I'm sorry to not be sending your present by owl, but as you can see, this owl far too small for a delivery of anything bigger than a letter over such a vast ocean. I will, however be coming back to England very soon and so, hope to give you your present in person._

_Sincerely,_

_Sarah C. Jennings_

Professor Dumbledore contemplated the letter for a short while before thinking that perhaps he wouldn't have to settle on a Charms teacher whose abilities he wasn't quite sure about.

When Sarah Jennings, a young teacher wearing bulky clothes and thick glasses that masked her face, apperated into the Three Caldrons with a _Pop_, Professor Dumbledore was already there, at a table, with a mug of butterbeer.

"Sarah!" he said cheerfully, rising with his arms extended, "How you've grown since the last time I've seen you. Are you well?"

Sarah hugged the old man fondly. "Quite well, Albus. Yourself?"

"I must admit that I've been better, but seeing old friends can easily change the mood of a man as old as myself; especially, in my currant situation, if that old friend happens to be a teacher as fine as yourself."

"Oh," Sarah had expected him needing a teacher, but not that he'd bring it up so soon upon her arrival. "Is it that Defense Against the Dark Arts class again, Albus, because you know as well as I that that particular class is most definitely _not_ my specialty on any level."

"Actually, it is Charms that I need a teacher for, rather badly too as the school year is quickly approaching."

"Well, Charms is a different story entirely. I'd be more than glad to help in that field, particularly with me moving back here and being in need of job and home…" Her voice trailed off as she looked around the room. "Oh, how I've missed it here," she said in voice barely above a whisper.

"How was America, then? You didn't stay as long as you had planned."

"It was hot and the food and grammar there are horrible."

They both chuckled at that and more stories later in the evening that Sarah had to share. Professor Dumbledore smiled inwardly that entire evening. It was good to have an old friend back home.

Sarah arrived at the school early, as the teachers usually do, the day before first term started. She'd never been to Hogwarts before, so she figured she'd better at least figure out how to get from her quarters, on top of one of the towers, to her classroom, on the second floor. She spent most of the day just finding her classroom and on her way back to her chamber she had to ask one of the ghosts for assistance.

She had heard from Albus in letters about Nearly Headless Nick and was very glad that he wasn't anything like Peeves the poltergeist, who had been the first she'd asked for help from and failed miserably to receive any.

After she had thanked Sir Nicolas at her chamber door and he had glided away, she went over a few mental notes that she had made and made a second attempt at getting to her classroom and back, this time, hopefully, without help.

She wandered around for a couple hours, making four circles on the third floor before finally hearing, "Excuse me. Do you need help?"

She walked backwards a few steps to look into another teacher's office. The man sitting there was quite handsome and looked about her age even though he had streaks of gray in his hair.

"Um, yes. I was looking for my classroom, actually," she stared at him a short time before she let a little laugh escape, "I seem to have gotten lost again."

Remus gave her a look of uncertainty. A very strange girl, indeed, she wore a floppy, pointed hat that covered most of her face, glasses that covered even more, gloves, and robes that were obviously made for someone twice her size as they completely covered her feet and hung loosely on her, and beyond that, she had a voice that sounded as though she couldn't be older than one of the students of Hogwarts. "Oh, I wasn't aware we needed another teacher," he said, honestly surprised.

Somewhat insulted by his response Sarah replied extending a hand, "Sarah Jennings. The new Charms teacher."

Remus shook her hand; "Remus Lupin. I teach Defense Against the Dark Arts."

_Remus Lupin, Remus Lupin_. Sarah Jennings thought two things about his name: one, that being a teacher in a school of magic, she deeply envied his strange name, and two, that she'd heard that name before.

"Oh! I've heard about you! You were here four years ago, weren't you? Albus told me about you."

"Oh, did he," he thought about this, a little confused, "When?"

"Well," she counted on her fingers as she thought, Remus let loose a small smile as he thought it was completely adorable, "Four years ago, when you were teaching then the year after that because he didn't know who to hire and again two years ago when he hired that horrible Umbridge women." Noticing the strange expression he had on his face she asked in slight puzzlement, "What?"

"Oh, nothing. I was just…" his voice trailed off before he answered.

"You were just…what?" she asked looking at a complete loss as he looked down in semi-embarrassment.

"Nothing. Never mind. So," he changed the subject, "You can't find the Charms classroom, then? I don't suppose you were looking for it about four hours ago, were you?"

"As a matter of fact I was. Why?"

"Well, that just explains why you walked past my room twice earlier today."

"Oh." Sarah felt herself flush, her face burned slightly in awkwardness. "Well, I've never been here before and this is a rather large castle," she said, a touch a defensiveness in her voice.

"You didn't go to school here?"

Sarah shook her head, "I was home-schooled by my father. Why?"

"It's just rather unusual for Professor Dumbledore to hire someone who didn't go to school here is all."

"Well, Albus and I have known each other for a long time, almost fifteen years." This comment baffled Remus. From what he could see, if what she said is true, then she must have befriended Albus when she was about two.

"Well, then," she interrupted his train of thought, "you did go to school here, then?" Remus nodded. "Then _you_ should know where the Charms classroom is, shouldn't you? Would you care to show me the way?" She took his hand and gave him an inquiring look.

Remus shook off his thoughts at the feeling of her touch. Looking up at her face he thought to himself _She doesn't look _that_ young. _ "Yes. Yes, of course." He carefully moved passed her in the archway, trying painstakingly not to make anymore physical contact with her other than the hand that held onto his. Once out of his classroom he led her to hers, every now and then pointing out something, usually a painting, that could mark a turn she would have to take or that she was, in fact, going in the right direction.

Once they got there, Sarah looked about the room quickly inspecting it for something she hadn't yet thought of.

"This is definitely my classroom," she said, giving it another look around and then looking back at Remus in the archway. "I don't suppose you'd be kind enough to walk me back to my rooms now, would you?"

"Pardon?" Remus could scarcely believe his ears (though, they were hardly ever wrong); did she just say what he thinks she just said?

"My rooms. I mean, I'd understand perfectly if you didn't want to. You did such a fine job of showing me the way here from your office, but I'm not even sure if I know the way _there,_ and besides that, I don't think it would very well do for me to have to go to your office every time I want to go to my classroom. Unless, of course, passing it is inevitable."

"You, make a good point," he replied looking somewhat bewildered. _How someone can say so much in one breath is beyond me, _he thought to himself. "Well, do you, at least know where your room is?"

"It's at the top of the smaller west tower."

Remus thought for a while. _There's a chamber up there?_ He had hardly been in that tower at all. It was the second smallest tower at Hogwarts and wasn't at all interesting. There weren't even any secret passages _leading_ to something interesting, just a dull overlook.

He sighed. "Yes I know where that is. Why would you want a room up _there_?"

"How often do you go up there? Or more, how often do _students_ go up there?"

"Privacy. Got it."

"That, and how often do you get to hear the rain inside this place? If it's going to rain, which it is at _some _point, then I want to hear it. It's such a pretty noise."

"Er…" Remus actually always heard the rain. His lycanthropy just seemed to heighten his senses, a side effect that he didn't mind bearing, but hearing her say that _it's such a pretty noise_ made him think she was a little bit daft.

Remus walked with her to her chamber, doing the same thing he did to direct her to her classroom from his, pointing out distinctive things that could help her remember when to turn and if she'd turned in the right direction.

When they got to her quarters, she thanked him politely and as she opened the door; Remus was overwhelmed. An extremely pleasing scent came rushing to greet him, causing his knees to grow weak. It smelled _wonderful_! Like some sort of vanilla tea; it made him want to sleep for a thousand years. _How can she stay awake in that room, let alone as hyper as she seems, _he thought, using a wall to stabilize himself.

"What's wrong with you," she inquired, looking at him like he'd just turned green.

"Nothing," he gasped. _She's only been here for a couple of hours and it never smell like that up here before._

Sarah chuckled. "Al…right, then. I'll see you tomorrow, Remus."

Hardly opening the door, she slipped into her room and closed the oak door behind her. After Remus caught his breath, he made it back to his classroom to finish his lesson plan for that week.


	2. Cairus

Sarah watched from her window, the lights of the carriages dancing up to the school. "It's beautiful…" she whispered to herself. Rain fell from the darkest of gray sky and she could hear it all very well.

She was brought out of her slight trance by a knock on her door. Stepping over her vast mountains of books into the carpeted valleys, she made her way to answer it. She had expected Remus, seeing as he _had_ been the one to help her there, but it was not. It, instead, was a very hansom man indeed. He had dark hair, dark eyes, was taller than Remus, and had a mysterious way about him.

Sirius looked through the doorway at the girl his friend had told him to escort to the main hall. _Looks pretty young to me Mooney_, he thought to himself.

"Hello, there. I'm Sirius," he extended his hand in greeting, "Sirius Black."

Sarah's eyes grew wide with recognition. "Greetings and hallucinations! Albus has told me only good things about you…for the past…four years, at any rate."

_Now what would Albus be doing telling toddlers about _me, Sirius sniggered inwardly.

After a short while of just standing there in silence, Sirius' hand still extended in an unnoticed greeting, Sarah grabbed her robe, dark blue, and slipped out her door.

"What? Not going to invite me in?" Sirius said in mock hurt.

"Of course not, Mr. Black; we've only just met."

Sirius was not sure what to make of that. She kind of sounded like she was joking, but not enough to laugh, so he settled upon just giving her an odd look.

They made their way down, through the staff entrance of the great hall and sat in their places, all the time Sarah wondering what Mr. Black taught, or if he even taught at all. When they got there, they sat in their designated places, Sirius by Remus, Sarah next to Sirius.

"What do you make of her?" Remus asked.

"Why don't you just fall in love with Hermione and get that friend thing out of the way?" Sirius replied.

"What!"

"I _mean_ how old is she? She seems like she would be about Harry's age, doesn't she? Well, if it's young you're looking for, why don't you just go with Hermione since you two already know each other. Come to think of it, you two would probably get along well enough together seeing as you're both bookworms."

"You're sick, you know this don't you?"

Sirius chuckled. "Why do you like her anyway? She's not _that_ attractive even if she does have a youthful air about her."

"You two _do _realize you're talking too loudly to be talking about me in private, right?"

Both men looked over at Sarah who was just staring strait ahead, though there was more pink in her cheeks, barely visible beneath her mask glasses.

"And what makes you think we're talking about you?" Sirius finally asked.

Sarah shifted uncomfortably in her seat and gave Mr. Sirius a quick glance. "I _do_ own a mirror Mr. Black" she said before, again, staring forward.

Sirius felt two things at that moment: Guilt and a hard nudge from Remus.

The three sat in silence for most of the rest of the evening. Dumbledore reintroduce Remus— Professor Lupin – and then Sirius—Both of whom, got much applause, particularly from the Gryffindor. They got so much applause that what Sarah got hardly seemed a welcome at all, but even though the clapping was unenthused, and there were no excited whistles, Sarah was smart enough to know that what she got was probably the average, just shadowed by the greetings that came before hers.

After everyone was put in their proper place and introduced, the sorting hat sang its song, an unusually quirky tune about new beginnings and old friends. All of the teachers except Sarah, and all of the older students, wondered to themselves what had brought this newfound happiness in the hat, but it was soon forgotten and everyone was quickly drawn into conversation.

When the dinner was half over, Sirius and Remus began another discussion, something about the Gryffindor quiditch team and Harry and their classes, lives, etc. Sarah was not really listening; it was not her conversation to listen to. She ate in silence, virtually alone and a bit disappointed at the people Albus had spoken so fondly of.

_If they're so outgoing, then how come all I've seen between these two so far is secrets?_ She thought to herself.

Sarah finished eating. As wonderful as the meal was, it did not make up for the rancid taste of being disregarded the entire night by the ones she had hoped to become fast friends with.

She scooted her chair back as quietly as she could and made her way to the back exit, behind the teachers, but was stopped by a familiar, chilling voice.

"Well if it isn't the young Posterum daughter. I might have known that _you'd _be the one taking Flitwik's place."

Sarah closed her eyes, hoping that the voice she heard did not belong to the face she thought it did. Opening them again to face the one who greeted her, she answered. "Hello Severus. You're looking well," she lied.

"You do not have to make petty attempts of flattery at my expense, Cairus. I am not a guest at you home tonight, as you well know."

"Yes, I do know that. This place is not at all like my home, you know that as well as I, yet you still haunt me. Why is that?"

Professor Snape made an odd growling noise from deep within the caverns of his throat. "I, madam, am the teacher of potions, and am many years your senior as a teacher at this school."

"That's funny, by the looks of you, you're many decades my senior just in life. What's a few years at a century-old school?"

Severus smirked in a malicious way that could curdle milk. Sarah mentally shuddered. "You've sharpened your tongue in the Americas, I see. Too bad their idiotic way of life probably dulled your mind, or perhaps you fit in rather nicely _there_, Cairus."

"The _muggles_ I met there are fifty times your wiser." she replied with a brilliant smile.

The leer on Severus' face melted off and his eyes seemed to deepen a bit. Sarah turned around and saw Sirius behind her. He was watching them both with what seemed like expectation to continue. "Well?" he said, looking at Severus, "Don't let me stand in the way, it's all entertaining to me."

"Goodnight, Cairus." Severus said, not breaking eye contact with Sirius, "I look forward to more or these little…_chance_ meetings of ours…later." He left with an intensity that Sarah had rarely seen before; his cloak leapt behind him as he turned and left.

"What was all that about?" Sirius asked. "You two seemed to have met before. Where?"

"Not that it is _any_ of your business, but he happens to be a friend of my father's. Now if you'll excuse me; good evening Mr. Black." With that, she left through the same door Snape had moments before. The corridor on the other side was dark and cold, lit and warmed only by the evenly placed torches on the walls. She had not walked too far before she saw a shadowed form in the hall before her.

"Why did you bother saying 'goodnight' if you were just going to wait for me down the hall?"

Severus left her question unanswered. "You've made the wrong friends quickly."

"It's not _my _fault I know you, so don't even try to place the blame on me, Sever—"

"You know very well who I'm talking about, Cairus! Black!"

"First of all, you austere vampire, you _know_ that is not my name anymore! And second of all, I'd much prefer being friends with an accused murderer than a real one, so you can just shove off and do what you seemed to have been so good at the past fifteen years and just _ignore me_!" Sarah shoved past him, then, and continued on what she thought was the way to her room.

Three hours later, she still did not know where she was. About a hour ago, she'd heard all the students going to their dormitories and tried to follow the sound to the stairs, but her attempts had failed and so she continue wandering. And now here she was, on an unfamiliar floor in an unfamiliar wing.

"Are you lost again?"

Sarah jumped and turned around. "Remus! I mean," she composed herself, "Professor Lupin, what are doing here?" She looked around at her surroundings.

"This is the third floor, Sarah, I sleep here, work here…pretty much my life resides on this floor. Why are you here? Are you lost again?"

"Only as lost as I think I am. But, nonetheless, I don't suppose you'd be willing to help me again, would you?"

"Of course. Come with me, then."

FYI to anyone who got a bit confused:

I'm writing a prequel, so if you got confused, sorry and wait a bit…a week…two weeks, tops.


End file.
